This is Essex --A MAN involved in a head-on crash 50 years ago that left him fighting for his life is searching for the nurse who cared for him.
On January 6, 1964, a 21-year-old Ray Bastin was driving a J Lyons bread van on the A12 near Hatfield Peverel.
"That day will always be in my memory," said Mr Bastin, now 72. "I was just leaving a customer and driving back towards Chelmsford. I was driving about 30mph and I saw a lorry coming towards me.
"I quickly got out of its way by steering to my right.
"But it appears that the lorry driver was asleep and woke up, worked out where he was and steered to his left. So then we met head on."
The impact with the 18-tonne truck left him bloodied and unconscious.
"Just after the collision there were three cars going in the same direction," he said. "One of the cars had someone in who knew me and they said 'I hope that's not Ray in there'.
"Just after that the van's engine blew up."
Despite a narrow escape, Mr Bastin was given just six hours to live by ambulance staff who arrived at the scene.
Taken to Brentwood Hospital, he suffered nine fractures in his head, including a smashed nose, broken jaw and lost almost all his teeth in the crash.
His only recollection of his stay at the hospital – he spent his 22nd birthday, two days after the crash, unconscious – was a nurse holding his hand day and night while he recovered. As his condition stabilised, he was taken to the London Hospital Annexe in Waltham Abbey, where he stayed for three-and-a-half months.
He explained: "I was moved from hospital to hospital then, when they realised I was surviving, I was moved to Waltham Abbey."
After 50 years, Ray is hoping to track down another nurse he felt played a key role in caring for him while he was in surgery.
"It is my belief that she went far beyond her prescribed call of duty that day and I would dearly love to thank her personally," he said.
Mr Bastin would not explain exactly what role the nurse played, so he can verify it is the right person.
"The thought that I nearly died, or could have been crippled for the rest of my life, is always there," said Mr Bastin.
He went on to have a successful career with Columbia Pictures in London. Mr Bastin is now a district councillor in Hampshire.
If you have any information about the incident, e-mail Ray at ray.hh@btinternet.com or call 02392 595660. Reported by This is 19 hours ago.